


Easy Going, Baby

by WritingYay



Series: 4 am adventures [1]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Other, SO MUCH FLUFF, cuteness, references to death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 14:51:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11292939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingYay/pseuds/WritingYay
Summary: "Couldn't sleep either huh?" He asks in a whisper. Liv shrugs and starts picking at a loose piece of thread erupting from her brother-in-law's hoodie."Nightmare."It's quiet, so quiet that Robert barely catches it, so he just presses his lips to the crown of her head and inhales the comforting scent of the shampoo that reminds him of home.





	Easy Going, Baby

Emmerdale is extremely dark at 4 o'clock in the morning.

Robert sighs and blows the steam from his tea. To be honest, he's too tall for his 6 ft frame to curl up in one of the kitchen chairs but he does it anyway with his long legs swinging off the edge. The only light visible is the lamp in the hallway. Liv insisted they leave it on in case she woke up in the middle of the night and needed to go downstairs. Her nightmares have got consistently worse since the massive accident; it was caused by watching her brother's heart stop in a hospital bed. It's shaken Robert badly too, worse than he'd care to admit, hence the impromptu sky-watching session at some ungodly hour.

The door creaks quietly open and Robert nearly spills his scalding hot drink in shock.

Liv's worried eyes peek around the door frame and relax when she sees Robert. He beckons her to him and opens up an arm. She shuffles around the sofa with a grateful, haunted smile and pulls a chair closer to Robert's so she can squeeze up next to him and hide under his arm like a shield. Like Robert she's clad in an old hoodie but where Robert's being sensible with sweatpants, the teenager's wearing a skimpy pair of black shorts and Robert can see her goosebumps worsening by the second. Liv exhales slowly into the soft material of Robert's shoulder and all the tension floods out of her shoulders as a result.

"Couldn't sleep either huh?" He asks in a whisper. Liv shrugs and starts picking at a loose piece of thread erupting from her brother-in-law's hoodie.

"Nightmare." 

It's quiet, so quiet that Robert barely catches it, so he just presses his lips to the crown of her head and inhales the comforting scent of the shampoo that reminds him of home.

"About the accident?" 

Liv shakes her head so Robert nudges her head for her tilt her gaze up. He searches her face for any signs of the grievance increasing but all that's there is exhaustion and shock just like before. Just like always.

"What about then?" 

As expected, Liv doesn't keep his gaze for long. Her eyes drift to the window now behind Robert's left shoulder and stay there. She stares at the darkness for a few seconds before slightly relaxing back into Robert's shoulder again.

"I dreamt that I was back at my Mum's." A shaky catch to her voice is evident and Robert's pulse perks up. "We were talking about something or other... I can't remember what but then I mentioned you and Aaron and her face just went blank like she had no idea what I was talking about." 

Ah. Robert recognises where this particularly night terror is going. It's similar to a recurring one he had when he was younger, after the fire that claimed the life of his mother.

"So I explained and she just looked at me all sympathetic and quietly said that I didn't have a brother. I googled this pub and some randoms owned it and not Chas and it was like..." 

She trails off and shifts in the seat so her torso is draped over Robert's ribcage.

"It was like you didn't exist. My family didn't exist and I was stuck in a place I hated more than anything. It was horrible, Robert. A really, really bad dream." 

Robert nods in agreement and reaches to push a stray piece of hair out of Liv's eyes. 

"I know. I had nightmares like that after my Mum died. The internet wasn't really around then and I didn't want to ask people about it so I kept it to myself. Worst thing I could have done. Thank you for telling me." 

Liv rolls her eyes but smiles all the same. 

"We'll never leave you though. Jesus Liv, we worked so hard to keep you here there's no way you're getting rid of us now!" This earns him a muffled giggle from the young girl and it makes Robert's heart skip a beat. "You are our family. Family sticks together, okay kid?" 

Liv nods but when her eyes flicker over to meet Robert's again, the haunting wariness to them stays etched into her face like a cavern. "You can't tell Aaron." 

Robert shakes his head. "I won't tell him about you if you don't tell him about me. I remember the deal, Liv."

There's a sudden bang from the hallway and both bodies jump. The door scrapes open again to reveal a very confused looking Aaron.

With his hair gel-free, his eyes soft with sleep and his face frowning in adorable confusion, Robert couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of love and protection urges for his husband. 

"Bed was cold." Aaron grumbles and stifles a yawn. "What are you both doing up?" 

"Chatting." Liv replies easily and gives her older brother one of her rare wide grins. "Neither of us could sleep. You okay?" 

"No." Aaron mutters and carefully treads through the dark to reach the table. He slides a chair to Robert's other side and plants a gentle kiss to Liv's temple on his way. "I woke up and my constant pain in the arse wasn't in bed. I got worried." 

Robert raises his eyebrows. "Where could I have gone at four thirty?" 

Aaron glares back. "I don't know? You're full of surprises." 

Robert goes to argue but then realises the truth in Aaron's accusation and turns to Liv with his hands out. "True." 

The younger man sniffs and lifts up Robert's other arm. He buries into it and hums in contention.

"Warm." His voice is muffled and Robert laughs.

He loves times like these when his spiky husband and even spikier sister-in-law are docile and tactile enough to demand cuddles like petulant children. He loves it when his husband presses a loved filled kiss to the base of his throat as his husband's baby sister makes pretend gagging noises but hides a happy smirk under her hand.

It might be very dark outside but there's always light in his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like some fluff was needed after that very angst-heavy fic I posted...
> 
> When are we going to have more Robron on our screens huh? Come on, Emmerdale?!
> 
> Anyways, hugs :)


End file.
